


Choices

by elletromil



Series: Come Back (Home) [3]
Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Ficlet, Friendship, Gen, POV Outsider
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:28:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24262096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elletromil/pseuds/elletromil
Summary: Before Eggsy can answer Harry, Merlin re-opens their connection and offers him a choice.Because yes, whatever happens now has the potential to break Eggsy. Or at the very least, break his heart.But he has a right to choose.When Eggsy meets Harry by chance a year after the man left Kingsman, Merlin lets him choose for himself whether he wants to stay the night or not.
Relationships: Harry Hart | Galahad & Merlin, Harry Hart | Galahad/Gary "Eggsy" Unwin, Merlin & Gary "Eggsy" Unwin
Series: Come Back (Home) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1089666
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	Choices

**Author's Note:**

  * For [InsaneRedDragon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsaneRedDragon/gifts).



> So like about two years ago I wrote this because Red asked for an alternate pov of the Come Back (Home) verse and I was sure I had posted it here, but apparently not?
> 
> So now I am because while I finally finished writing the (official) third part of the verse, so it seems like the perfect time to post everything at once.

While he trusts Eggsy to make his way to the airport without getting into any trouble, Merlin still keeps their line open, at least on his end.

It’s something he’s always done, never really disconnecting with an agent until they were either taken in charge by another handler or safely back home. He’s never made it a secret, but none of the Knights have ever mentioned it to him and Merlin has taken it for what it is. A silent approval of his mother hen tendencies.

It certainly comes handy when they get into unpredictable situation where they need a quick escape route and Merlin never minds the extra hours if it means he doesn’t have to bury another friend.

However, since the mission is nearly officially over – debrief is the true mark of a completed mission at Kingsman – he’s working on the schematic of a new pair of killer heels for Roxy, the feed from Eggsy’s glasses minimized on his screen where it can’t distract him but he can get to it in a hurry if need be.

He’s usually pretty good at cutting out anything that doesn’t have the potential to become a life or death situation, but the name Eggsy whispers is all it takes to make him freeze suddenly, disbelief washing over him.

“Harry…”

His first thought is that it can’t be Harry as in Harry Hart, but it’s not like Eggsy knows any other Harry. At least none he would call out the name quite in this way, soft and yearning, happy and wrecked.

“Eggsy.” It’s definitely _Harry_ ’s voice replying and there are as many emotions shaking in his voice as there were in Eggsy’s.

Merlin sighs shakily, not sure whether or not he should leave them their privacy or not.

He doesn’t want to intrude but at the same time, he doesn’t want to leave Eggsy alone when he’s clearly vulnerable. Oh, he could still kick arses easily, but he knows there’s a probability this particular chance meeting will break him in ways that won’t be visible until much later.

The same goes with Harry, but his old friend made his choice nearly a whole year ago already. He’s not Merlin’s to worry about anymore. Not in this way.

He brings up the feed to full screen, staring at the new look Harry’s is sporting for longer than he’ll ever admit. Somehow, it’s hard to process he’s got a _beard_. It’s like it doesn’t match his inner image of Harry. Not that it’s terrible on him, but it’s certainly different.

Somehow, it makes him look younger too.

But that possibly has more to do with the way his eye seems to crinkle so easily now and how he seems to have lost all the lines of worry and exhaustion that had marred his face for nearly as long as he knew him.

In other words, he looks happy.

He has to smile at the realisation, even if it’s bittersweet. They might not talk much anymore, but Harry’s still his friend. If Death couldn’t change that, it’s not an ocean between them that will destroy the bond between them. So to know Harry’s happy with the life he made for himself, that truly makes him happy in turns.

What makes his heart clenches however is the thought of what it’ll do to Eggsy.

He knows the lad wants only the best for Harry, even more than Merlin does, but he also knows that Eggsy is still in love with Harry. Probably always will be.

It doesn’t matter how mature one is, how kind or how strong you are. Realising that you’re not part of the happiness of your loved one is always a hard blow to sustain.

He wishes Harry would still wear his Kingsman glasses so he could take a look at Eggsy. Try and figure out what his thoughts are.

But all he has is his own instincts, his own knowledge of Eggsy.

In a few clicks, even before Harry worries he might be keeping Eggsy from something more important, he’s changing Eggsy’s flight plans. Arthur might disapprove of him acting without prior authorization, but Merlin has never cared about any of the Arthurs’ opinions before. He’s certainly not starting now.

At the edge of the view that’s offered by the glasses, Merlin can see Eggsy’s hands clenching and unclenching. It’s a nervous gesture yes, but he knows enough of the boy body language to know it’s not because he’s uncomfortable or angry or afraid. No. He’s just trying to stop himself from reaching out.

Before Eggsy can answer Harry, Merlin re-opens their connection and offers him a choice.

Because yes, whatever happens now has the potential to break Eggsy. Or at the very least, break his heart.

But he has a right to choose.

Merlin cannot give him much, cannot change Harry’s mind, _wouldn’t_ change it. But a day to hopefully begin to make his peace? That he can.

“Galahad, it seems there was a mistake and that your plane only leaves tomorrow.”

He waits until Eggsy makes his choice and then, for the first time in all his career as a handler, he completely shuts down his connection with a Knight before he’s safely home.

Though he has a suspicion that _home_ and _with Harry_ are synonymous to Eggsy.


End file.
